More Than 50 Nurses, Staff at NYC Hospital Sickened by Mold
Nurses and other workers in the maternity unit have reported illnesses such as headaches, dizziness, and swollen throats after air monitoring devices found the presence of mold and trace amounts of anesthetic gases. Hospital officials say no patients have had symptoms.
Financial Penalties in Hospital Readmissions Linked to Higher Mortality
In an article published in JAMA, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center examined the unintended consequences of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, a component of the Affordable Care Act that began in 2012.
Patient Experience Five Times as Likely as Marketing to Drive Consumer Loyalty
Patient experience is five times more likely to influence brand loyalty than conventional marketing tools such as billboards, or television, print, or radio ads, the report says. More than 1,000 adults were surveyed for the report.
Three Ways to Limit Overprescribing Antibiotics in the Urgent Care Setting
In July, CDC researchers published a study in JAMA Internal Medicine that found inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for respiratory conditions was highest in the urgent care setting at 45.7% of patient visits. Emergency departments were the second highest at 24.6% of patient visits.
Joint Commission’s New Emergency Management Checklist
The Joint Commission published a new Emergency Management Health Care Environment Checklist on its website, which helps healthcare organizations that are reopening their facilities after a disaster.
How to Protect Patients and Staff From What Could Be a Long Flu Season
The study, published in the October issue of the journal Science, presents evidence that flu incidence tends to fluctuate depending on environmental moisture levels, population density, and activity levels of the general population.
Study: More Than Half of Hospital Infections Could Be Prevented With Proper Protocols
The September release of the study was timed to coincide with Outbreak Prevention and Response Week, hosted by SHEA and key partners to raise awareness and provide resources to healthcare professionals, the infection prevention community, patients, and families on ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Part One: ECRI Tech Hazards 2019
There are new additions to this year’s list, including retained surgical items and patient lift systems. Several experts discuss the top 10 issues and about steps that can be taken to prevent them to guide readers in the upcoming year.
CMS Looks Into Whether AOs Have Conflicts of Interest
On December 18, the federal agency pre-published a request for information on “Medicare Program: Accrediting Organizations Conflict of Interest and Consulting Services.”
TJC Releases Compliance and Sentinel Event Stats for First Half of 2018
The latest list, published in the September issue of Perspectives, shows the standards scored most frequently as “not compliant” during Joint Commission accreditation surveys and certification reviews from January 1 through June 30, 2018.